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FORMER US president Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer which has spread to bone.
The 82-year-old confirmed he had the advanced form of the disease in a statement from his personal office.
Biden was seen last week by doctors after suffering urinary symptoms, with a prostate nodule then being found.
He was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday, with the cancer cells having spread to the bone.
While it is a more “aggressive” form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, meaning there would be the prospect of “effective management” of his illness.
The president and his family are currently reviewing treatment options with his doctors.
The statement from Biden’s personal office read: “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms.
“On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.
“The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
A Gleason score of 9 means the cancerous cells “look very abnormal” and that the disease is “likely to grow quickly”, according to Cancer Research UK.
His diagnosis comes in similar way to King Charles, who announced he was suffering from cancer after having an unrelated procedure for an enlarged prostate.
What are the symptoms every man needs to know?
In most cases, prostate cancer doesn’t have any symptoms until the growth is big enough to put pressure on the urethra – that tube you pee through.
Symptoms include:
- Needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- Needing to rush to the toilet
- Difficulty in starting to pee
- Weak flow
- Straining and taking a long time while peeing
- Feeling that your bladder hasn’t emptied fully
Many men’s prostates get larger as they age because of the non-cancerous conditions, prostate enlargement, and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
In fact, these two conditions are more common than prostate cancer – but that doesn’t mean the symptoms should be ignored.
The signs that cancer has SPREAD include bone, back, or testicular pain, loss of appetite, and unexplained weight loss.
Biden has previously struggled with his physical health, with some saying he had grappled with health issues during his final year in office.
Biden served as US president from 2021 to 2025, with his term ending on January 20 when Donald Trump took office.
There have been reports in the past Biden was “disoriented and out of it” during cabinet talks and that he had also struggled to recall certain memories, including that of his son Beau’s tragic death in 2015.
This also isn’t the first time the former president has been diagnosed with cancer.
Before assuming the presidency, Biden has a number of “localized, non-melanoma skin cancers” removed by surgery.
Non-melanoma skin cancer typically develops in the areas of the body most exposed to the sun such as the face, ears, hands, shoulders, upper chest, and back.
